Man shot dead by Metropolitan police in east London

A man believed to be in his 40s has been shot dead by the Metropolitan police in Romford, east London.

Scotland Yard said it was called at 3.50am on Monday by a man making threats and claiming he was in possession of a firearm at an address in Collier Row.

Firearms officers attended and were informed the man had left carrying a weapon.

A man was shot at 4.45am and pronounced dead at the scene at 5.17am, police said.

The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The IOPC said investigators had been deployed to the scene and police were beginning post-incident procedures.

Road closures were put in place around the scene of the shooting.

The man is the first person to be shot dead by police officers in England and Wales this year.

There have been 28 fatal shootings by police officers since 1990, according to the charity Inquest. It recorded six fatal police shootings last year, the joint highest in 28 years.